MGM Mirage is NOT Gambler Friendly

Those who know me, know that I like to gamble and that I go to Vegas often. What I learned on my last trip was that I will never again go into a MGM/Mirage hotel or casino. I will not stay at any of their hotels, casinos or go to their shows — and I will tell all who listen my little story. MGM / Mirage properties include MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mirage, Treasure Island, New York New York and a few other lesser properties. Their big shows are Danny Ganz, and O.

Many months ago, our good friends called to say that the 4th of July was going to be Tom’s birthday, he’d never been to Vegas, and she hadn’t been there in 20 plus years — so would we like to go? We said sure, and as a couple of months earlier I’d won $3,700 on the Black Jack tables at the Mirage — and they had (like every other casino for the last ten years) comp’d my hotel and food for my play — I suggested we go back there. We made reservations for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights — and returned on Monday — the 4th of July.

Now I make it a point of always giving all of my table action to the hotel I stay at — and never walk out the doors until I take the cab back to the airport. This weekend I was at the blackjack tables at least 10 hours a day — and spent 15+ hours on Sunday. I’d be there at 6AM and I’d be there at 2AM. Now I’m no Dennis Rodman, but I’m not piker either. I often sit a an empty table where the game moves faster and my bets often get in the $300 per hand range when I’m on a streak. I also always put the dealers in when I get Black Jack or have won three hands in a row. This last trip had me tipping the dealers over $750 — but I’ve had trips when the cards were kinder to me where they’d get many times that.

On this trip, the cards weren’t especially kind to me, and often my bets were $25 and $50 per hand — but there was 100s and 100s of hands where my bet was over $100, and dozens and dozens of hands where they were over $300 a hand.

At 7am on the morning we were to check out, I made my customary walk to the Casino host, to ask them what my play was worth to them. This time the couple we went with also went with me to see what their action was worth. Now they did gamble some there — but did more at Caesars (next door) and because they were being tourists and seeing the town — sat at the tables a very small fraction of the time I did. As luck would have it, we both lost the same amount — $2,500. Well we walk into the casino host’s office and there are two hosts. I walked up to the one closest to the door, who was a black man by the name of Demetrius or something. My friends walked up to an older white guy. My host looks at my play and  says “we can cover your room — but not your meals”. I was pissed (but calm) and asked what they had me down for as my play.  The hours and average bet was way low (I’m thinking they lost the last slip where I sat at the same table for about 6 hours and had a high average bet to try to make up ground lost) was way off. They did however have the total loss about right. If that didn’t piss me off enough (again I stayed calm), the other host covers virtually everything of my friends. Even my friends were astounded at what their play was worth compared to mine, as I’d been the one trying to talk them into giving the Mirage all of their action like I was.

About five minutes later I go back and asked how is it someone who places 100 times more bets (that is no exaggeration) is comp’d less than a tourist? My answer was that they had lost more than I had — because they’d lost $4,000 — which they hadn’t (we’re childhood friends and former business partners — until someone made us an offer we couldn’t refuse for the business) — and I’m certain of it. That was a pure bullshit answer anyway — because the trip before I’d won $3,700 and went to the older white guy and was nicely comp’d. It’s not if you win or lose — but how long you play and the size of the bet. They feel that over time they’ll always be the winner if they can get you back to the tables.

At breakfast, this was still eating me up — so I went back and handed the white guy my Player’s card and told him I wouldn’t need it anymore. I guess I expected he’d try to explain better their position — but he just said OK and took it. When I checked out I was was asked how my stay was. I answered that I won’t be back to a MGM / Mirage property again, and while I was expecting she might ask if I wanted to speak with a manager (I didn’t — but thought she’d ask) — she just said something like “The Casino Host, huh?”. I’m not sure if they called the desk to say if I was an asshole to have security break my legs — or if a lot of people were complaining that morning about the host I had. Her statement really puzzled me.

Anyway, it is very obvious that MGM / Mirage (and so I assume all of their hotels) really wants hotel guests and show guests — and could care less about the gamblers who come in with ten grand a couple of times a year. I asked a couple of dealers about the obvious turnover in dealers from previous visits — and was told that Wynn was making better deals for the dealers (and that they get better tips and are waiting for openings for them to book out the Mirage as their tips average $200 a day there and twice that at Wynn’s) because they do care about the gamblers. I guess I’ll have to put Wynn on my list of  places to consider for my next visit.

Do yourself a favor and book your Vegas stay at any hotel but MGM Grand, Mirage, Bellago, New York New York, or the Boardwalk. Mandalay Bay is nice, Caesars has another tower about to open, Paris is nice, Luxor has the Blue Man Group (Mirage doesn’t have anything sine Sigfried & Roy bailed), and I might go visit Mirage’s old dealers at Wynn next trip to fill them in.

I’m sure many times a year the conversation with family and friends turns to Vegas. Please bring this up to them so they too can find a casino that cares better for those who sit at their tables. Why not stay at Caesars, and walk next door to tell the casino hosts at the Mirage that the Old Hippie says hey — but you need to get back to play the tables at Caesars.